TREATMENT ON A JOURNEY. 69 



taking care that they fit easy, set well, and are not 

 placed so near the inside of the foot as to cut the 

 ankles in travelHng, which often produces stiffness, 

 considerable swelHng of the legs, and sometimes lame- 

 ness. 2d. Examine your saddle, valise, portmanteau, 

 harness, &c. as the case may be, to discover if they fit 

 with ease and comfort to your horse, taking care to let 

 them undergo the same examination every two or three 

 days. For a saddle to fit properly, it must be neither 

 wide enough in the tree to slip upon the shoulders, or 

 so narrow as to pinch or break the skin on the withers ; 

 the bolstering or stuffing in the pannels should be 

 adapted to the hollow spaces on each side of the back 

 bone or spine. When thus properly fitted, a crupper 

 will be useless. 3d. Your valise should be fastened 

 on by passing two straps underneath two pieces con- 

 fined to the valise pad, and through two loops at the 

 back of the saddle; by which means it will be kept 

 steadily in its proper place, and the rider will not be 

 perplexed by its swinging first on one side, and then on 

 the other, and the danger of the horse having a sore 

 back from friction will be avoided. The only difference 

 between the customary way of fastening a valise and 

 the one I here recommend, is the passing straps through 

 the loops to the back of the saddle. 



On the night previous to your commencing your 

 journey, after your horse is placed on a good bed 

 of straw, and is well rubbed, feed with two gallons 

 of oats, or one and a half gallons of old corn and 

 hommony, and eight or ten bundles of fodder, or 

 a quantity of hay equal to it. In the morning feed 

 with half a gallon of oats, after which offer a bucket 

 of water. It is customary for horses to be watered 

 before being fed ; but it is much better not to water them 

 until afterwards ; a large draught of water very often 



